One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Decapitated Shark Spurs Investigation In Newport Beach
Great White Shark (Photo via Oceanic Ramsey on Instagram)
The photo of a headless juvenile great white shark made its way around social media this week before sparking an official investigation from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Details remain sketchy at best, with at least one person claiming the decapitated fish was found in Newport Beach, while Newport Beach spokeswoman Tara Finegan earlier denied that it was found on its beaches. But one thing is clear: this mutilation was the work of a human.
According to California State law, it is illegal to hunt or kill great white shark. If you catch one by accident, you're supposed to release immediately. One theory is that the shark was gutted for meat. If that's the case, Dr. Chris Lowe of the CSLB Shark Lab told KTLA, "People really shouldn't eat these young sharks because one of our studies has found that they have some of the highest contaminant levels found in any sharks." If a human consumed this shark meat, it could very easily get mercury poisoning.
Here's to hoping social media can come through on this one and do one of the few unassailable things it's capable of: outing crimes against nature.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
